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Erckel's francolin

Pternistis erckelii

Photo by mauna Kunzah
Published on Project Noah
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19.7977, -155.46

Field Notes

Description:

Medium-sized partridge running about at a high altitude. Males and females can be identified by comparing the spurs on their legs; males have two per leg, whereas females have one.

Habitat:

I spotted this francolin at greater than 9000 feet, on the dormant volcano, Mauna Kea.

Notes:

Native to Ethiopia, Eritrea, and part of Northern Sudan, it was introduced to the Hawaiian islands in the 1950s but is not found on Maui, Molokai, Kahoolwe or Niihau.

Reference Links:

Erckel's francolin - Wikipedia, Hawaiian Creatures - Erckel's Francolin

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (6)
mauna Kunzah
Thanks, Maria! Yes, they were introduced as game birds all over the US but the population on the main land did not survive.
Maria dB
Interesting spotting. Do you know why this bird was introduced to Hawaii?
mauna Kunzah
Thanks so much, Ashley, for letting me know about the nomination!
AshleyT
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Neil Ross
Wonderful spotting, muana, and a great series of pics.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Birds of the World
Mission
Global Flight
Mission
Yellow 8 MMS - Hawai'i
Mission
Alien Species in Hawaii
Mission
2018 Best Wildlife Photo

Tags

Photographed
PublishedDecember 25, 2018

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